Rangers player may now have a big problem

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Rangers player may now have a big problem


Regular readers to the site will be well aware that we defended Kyle Lafferty extensively following the outrage over his withdrawal.

Sadly, we have to retract much of that defence and admit the lad got this badly wrong and has let pretty much everyone down here.

We cited how he’d withdrawn on an injury basis, and that seemed fair enough, and why should the Irish FA and Michael O’Neill perpetuate offence at this.

What was less clear was quite how late in the day Lafferty had made the call, and how short he’d left his national manager up front as a result.

The IFA have now invoked a FIFA clause which stops a player playing for his employing club for up to five days after an international break if he withdraws, and quite honestly we really don’t blame them.

Lafferty knew he had an Achilles problem, and should have informed his NT that he wasn’t fit in considerable advance, and by calling O’Neill at 00:00 the day before he was needed, he’s shown a real lack of respect for his national coach and for his country.

We don’t mean this as a hatchet job, because we know Lafferty, while daft as a brush, is a good guy and one of us.

But he’s prone to these gaffes, these mistakes, these absolute lapses of judgement and he’s unfortunately been guilty of one here.

We can’t defend him on any level over this – and we do retract the earlier sentiments we had of doing so.

We admit a touch of hypocrisy too – if he was playing better we might well have cut him slack, but he really hasn’t done it at Ibrox, sadly, so the old ‘as long as he’s delivering on the pitch’ get out clause for all manner of offences isn’t in his locker this time.

Rangers will now be lacking his services on Sunday, meaning other than Alfredo Morelos, Rangers will have no legitimate striker in the match day squad.

It’s a must-win game – Rangers must finally put this horrific away record to bed and show the Fortress of Ibrox isn’t the only place we can get three points.

But it’ll be without Lafferty.

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15 COMMENTS

  1. I don't think we know enough to do a hatchet job on Laff…maybe he was trying to give himself as much time to recover as possible but didn't make it…we don't know so can make no comment on it…

    To be honest – I think the whole 5 day rule is bullshit & it should be up to the club that's paying his wages as to whether they want to play him or not. It's surely up to the player himself whether he wants to represent his country for any particular match. Don't know about you – but if I had the option of jumping on a plane & all the hassle that entails just to tell someone I can't play I'm injured or phone them & tell them – I know what I'd be doing…

  2. Sorry cannot agree with your assumptions at all. Who is to say that Kyle Lafferty did not give himself every chance up until the last minute to see if he would be fit. Yes you could argue he maybe should have called his manager that he was nursing an injury and would let him know later if he would be fit, however all good and well in hindsight. Remind me again who scored against Villarreal in the 76th minute, short memory you lot.

  3. Lafferty next time he's asked to play for country should just tell them to get to fuck, our players constantly get injured on international duty and l will stick behind the big man, the John Merrick Griffiths did something similar for Scotland and not much was said about it

  4. A like big Laff but sometimes he act like a lump of wood and this is one of them .Now we will miss a key player on Sunday just not good enough .

  5. Ludicrous, if a player wants to make himself fit for the club whom pay his wages as opposed to representing his country and risk further time laid off then fair play to him. With a decision like this it could also force the player to choose club over country. Also making it look like he left them in limbo at the last minute, he could have been trying to give himself as much time as possible to see weather or not he’d make it for the trip. He has represented his country very well and don’t believe we woke up and thought “il leave it till midnight before telling them I can’t play”. NI risk losing him now completely with this silly sanction.

  6. Lafferty should have on hindsight did what Griffiths done said that he was concentrating on his fitness and was not playing as for leaving them short up front they had Boyce playing from the start and also brought on Vassell and Mcginnis Rangers are Laffertys priority they are his employers and no one other than Rangers should have the right to tell him not to turn up for his work Just look at Arfields situation injured while playing for his country Who is the manager of Northern Ireland again?

  7. Kyle's an idiot and has always been a fucking idiot. He can't hardly claim he was injured when he played for us days before and failed to delcare anything until midnight day before the squad met up. Lets be honest nobody here(and Kyle included most likely) gave a shit until the IFA threw a spanner in the works. Its Karma really – Kyle fucked them about and left them high and dry, so they've returned the favor. Expect he'll now retire from representing Norn Iron the big fucking fanny!

  8. He didn’t do anything wrong in my book. They new back in September that Lafferty has nursing this injury and had at the previous international break. In my book ni are being very petty and I hope someone at our club has a word with them. I see a day coming very shortly when clubs will be refusing national teams to have their players.

  9. I have to agree with Stevo, 442 and RabC.
    If he has been carrying an injury, withdraw with plenty of notice. OR, go along and explain you are not fit, but support your team mates.
    Calling at midnight before a match is just rank stupidity, how did he expect the manager to take it? His plans are screwed. So he lashes out.
    Having said that it is unlikely that Lafferty was trying to be nasty. he seems to enjoy playing for his country, so more likely thoughtless which is much more in character for him.
    Either way, we march on. He would not have started anyway. If not Morelos, we will have to try someone who can play against the sheep 7 days later

  10. Hopefully see young Dallas in the squad, not sure if he's ready but I'm a believer in if ur good enough your old enough.

  11. I like the lad, but it amazes me how BEFORE they come to Ibrox, they're banging goals in for fun. We sign them…the goals dry up. ??? The reason would bought him, was that very reason. Killing it, at Hearts. But as for this issue we're discussing, he's a young guy. Sometimes they're a bit scatter-brained. I don't think he would have deliberately left him short. Tried to sabotage his own national team?? Can't see that.

  12. Technically Lafferty is at fault but this new international tournament is a nonsense and will cause a strain on clubs like ours. We lost Jack and McAulay from the last international break and neither has kicked a ball since. Now we've lost Arfield for weeks most likely and Lafferty. I hope Kyle tells O'Neill where to shove it frankly.

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